Cellular networks using newer radio access technology (RAT) systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, are being developed and deployed. Networks using these newer RATs often support faster data rates than networks utilizing legacy RATs, such as second generation (2G) and third generation (3G) RATs, including Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks. However, in some deployments, LTE and other new RATs may not fully support some services that can be handled by legacy networks. Accordingly, LTE networks are often co-deployed in overlapping regions with legacy networks and wireless communication devices may transition between RATs as services or coverage may require. For example, in some deployments, LTE networks are not capable of supporting voice calls. Accordingly, when a wireless communication device receives or initiates a voice call while connected to a network that supports data sessions, but not voice calls, the wireless communication device can perform a circuit switched fallback (CSFB) procedure to transition to a legacy network that supports voice calls.
In some instances, there may be a significant amount of background data traffic on a wireless communication device, including, for example, email, a data service for keeping a device connected to servers, and/or the like. Since newer networks, such as LTE, can offer faster data rates than legacy networks, devices enabled to operate on LTE networks generally prefer to stay on LTE when LTE access is available for both idle state and active data transmission state. In this regard, LTE can offer a better user experience than legacy networks due to its higher data rates. Under the CSFB scheme, LTE will only provide the data service, while legacy networks will provide both voice and data service. Due to the nature of smart phones and other wireless communication devices, data traffic can be serviced at the same time with the voice call on a legacy network. However, even after the voice call has terminated, a wireless communication device can sometimes be inhibited from returning to LTE due to underlying data traffic activities, as a device can need idle time to do system re-selection in order for it to return to LTE. Even when a wireless communication device has idle time to complete a reselection to LTE, data packets can often arrive at a baseband layer of the device from higher layers for transmission to the network, and the device can abort the reselection procedure and remain on the legacy network to transmit the data. In this regard, current wireless communication devices can discard timers tied to cell reselection and remain on a legacy network in response to data packets arriving at the baseband layer for transmission before a reselection procedure has been completed. The reselection procedure can then be restarted after completion of the data transfer. As such, even though wireless communication devices generally prefer to operate on LTE networks when available unless servicing an active voice call in order to provide better user experience, a device can often be stuck on a legacy network even after termination of a voice call if there is an active data transfer, or if data packets become ready for transmission before reselection is completed. Users can accordingly experience less than desirable data performance for significant time periods following voice call termination even when access to a network offering faster data rates is available.